Mr West's Comper Swift

[emron]

Comper CLA.7: S/No. S.30/8, ZK-ACG.


New Zealand Herald, 13 March 1931.

OUT OF THE BLUE
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The Comper Swift for Mr. West, of Whakatane, has arrived (in Auckland). and will be tested out by Flight-Lieutenant Allan this week.

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Bay of Plenty Times, 26 September 1931.

Mr H. L. D. West, architect, of Whakatane, arrived here (Tauranga) in his Comper Swift monoplane yesterday morning and made a landing on (beside) the Waikareao Estuary at the western terminus of Elizabeth Street. The machine is a high-wing monoplane, single seater, powered with a nine-cylinder Salmson engine, and made the trip from Whakatane in thirty-five minutes this afternoon. He intends settling in Tauranga in the near future and will practice his profession here.

[Peter Lewis]

It lasted from 1931 to 1937.

[emron]

NZ Herald, 1 April 1932.

FLIGHT IN SMALL AEROPLANE.

The Comper Swift aeroplane, a tiny single-seater owned by Mr. H. L. D. West, of Whakatane, which has been housed at the Mangere aerodrome for some months, made its first flight for a considerable time past recently with Flight-Lieutenant D. M. Allan, the Auckland Aero Club’s instructor, at the controls. The machine is so small that the upper part of the pilot’s body, projecting above the cockpit, deflected the slipstream from the rudder, with the result that the aeroplane would not steer properly. Mr. Allan thereupon removed the cushioned seat and sat on the floor, it being found in a later flight that the difficulty had thus been overcome. Adjustments carried out to the electrical system proved satisfactory and Mr. Allan looped and rolled the Comper in the course of a short test flight.

[planewriting]

There is an extensive history of ZK-ACG in nzcivair.blogspot.com/2020/06/comper-swifts-of-new-zealand-zk-acg.html

[emron]

Otago Daily Times, 15 December 1932.

AN ALARMING EXPERIENCE
FLIGHT IN DAMAGED MONOPLANE
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LANDING SAFELY EFFECTED
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(SPECIAL TO DAILY TIMES.)
AUCKLAND, December 14.

A flight from Matamata to Tauranga, a distance of about 25 miles by air, with a broken propeller and a hole in the fabric of one wing of his machine, was made last week by a private owner, Mr. H. L. D. West, of Whakatane. Mr. West owns the only Comper Swift machine in the Dominion, a tiny single-seater, high wing monoplane.

Immediately he took off from Matamata Mr. West noticed that his little machine was not climbing at its usual rate, and he was at a loss to account for its indifferent performance. He experienced difficulty in gaining an altitude, and managed to clear the Kaimai Hills only by a small margin. Despite the poor performance of the Comper the pilot decided to continue his flight, but received a rude shock when, while crossing the Kaimai Hills, he noticed a gaping hole in the fabric of one wing.

As a landing on the Kaimais was quite out of the question Mr. West was obliged to carry on in spite of the fact that the hole in the wing fabric was growing in size at an alarming rate. In the circumstances there was nothing he could do but hope for the best, and after a nerve-racking trip the pilot made a safe landing at Tauranga.

On making an inspection of his machine Mr. West was astounded to find that the tip of each propeller blade was missing, and that one blade was split almost to the boss. It was then apparent that in taking off from a relatively rough field at Matamata the propeller had struck the ground, snapping the tips from the blades and splitting the airscrew. The hole in the wing was evidently due to a piece of broken propeller striking the wing.

The Comper is fitted with the “dough-nut” type of landing wheels, and on an uneven field there would be little clearance between the tips of the propeller blades and the ground when the machine was in flying position.

[davidd]

Mr West made a very bad decision, but survived to tell the tale.

[emron]

Nil Desperandum!

Bay of Plenty Times, 15 December 1932.

AERO CLUB
COMPER SWIFT ALOFT
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Much interest was exhibited yesternoon in the first flights, as a locally owned machine, of Mr. H. West’s “Comper Swift” ‘plane. On its recent journey from Matamata the propeller was badly splintered in the long grass when starting, and it was feared that it would be necessary to replace this part before further flights would be possible. As this would have entailed considerable delay, however, Captain Brake took the task of repairs in hand and made a wonderful job of it. Fresh tips were most neatly spliced on, to replace the damaged wood, and then practically the whole of each blade was carefully bound with several layers of adhesive tape and treated with aeroplane dope. It is no exaggeration to say that the propeller is now stronger and better in every way than before it was damaged.

Captain Brake took the machine up first on a trial trip at about 2.30, and later the owner went aloft in it. Whilst he was up the Avro was proceeding with its usual business of lessons and solo flights, and the juxtaposition in the air of the two machines of such different types in their evolutions made a sight never previously experienced in Tauranga, and was greatly enjoyed by observers in all parts of the town, many of whom will doubtless express their appreciation by attending the Aero Club’s benefit performance at the picture theatre on Monday next.

[emron]

New Zealand Herald, 9 July 1932.

THE AVIATION WORLD
AUCKLAND AERO CLUB NEWS.
BY AILERON.

A comprehensive display of interest to all flying enthusiasts has been arranged by the Auckland Aero Club to be included in the forthcoming Auckland Winter Show. The exhibition which will be held in the Central Wharf sheds, will commence on Wednesday, and will continue until July 23. The official opening will be performed on Wednesday evening by the Governor-General, Lord Bledisloe, who will be accompanied by the Lady Bledisloe.

The club has the assistance of the staff at Hobsonville air base, and also of several companies interested in flying, in arranging the display, which promises to be complete in every detail, even to a model air-port. Two aeroplanes, one of the club’s Moths, and Mr. H.L. D. West’s Comper Swift, will be included. The staff at Mangere has been busy preparing the yellow Moth for the occasion, and in the actual exhibition one wing will be removed, the machine being mounted as though in a sharp gliding turn, with the nose well down and the one remaining wing tilted upward. This arrangement will enable visitors to examine the interior and see the various instruments and controls from a little distance, without there being any risk of the machine being damaged through enthusiastic spectators climbing on it to see inside.

The new glider “Nimbus” recently completed by Messrs. F. C. MacDonald and T. Philcox, will be included in the club’s exhibit, while the pilot instructor machine, owned by the Vacuum Oil Company, Limited, will also be on show. The Shell Company of New Zealand, Limited, will supply a number of photographs of England-Australia flyers, and several scale models of famous aircraft. The Air Survey and Transport Company, Limited, has loaned a number of aeroplane parts for the occasion, the list including wings in various stages of construction, and parts of a Gipsy I engine.

Equipment from Hobsonville will include a Fairey wheel and airscrew, flying suits, parachutes, a number of aviation instruments, an aircraft camera and a Fairey IIIF wireless panel. A miniature workshop will occupy one portion of the stand, and a mechanic will be engaged in building up a wing, while a model airport will be prominently displayed.

[emron]

Bay of Plenty Times, 29 May 1933.

Mr. H. West has sold his Comper Swift plane to Mr. Ferry of Whakatane, and the machine has been delivered.

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Waikato Times, 2 June 1934.

LOCAL JOTTINGS.
ACTIVITIES AT TE RAPA.

A very creditable performance was put up by Mr. Ray Ferry, of Whakatane. Mr. Ferry some time ago purchased Mr. H. D. West’s Comper Swift. He learned to fly at the Waikato branch of the Auckland Aero Club and recently had his first solo flight at Te Rapa. After only four and a-half hours’ solo with a Gipsy Moth, Mr. Ferry took his Comper to Ohope Beach and took off. He had a very successful flight, and since then has done over three hours’ flying with the machine.
The Comper Swift is a single-seater high-wing monoplane, powered with a 45 h.p. Salmson nine-cylinder radial engine. It carries nine gallons of petrol, and it’s consumption is about three and a-half gallons per hour. The oil consumption is under one pint per hour. Mr. Ferry states that the Compter is a delightful machine to fly, although it is naturally very sensitive on the controls.

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Waikato Times, 16 November 1934.

MANY ATTRACTIONS
RUKUHIA AIR PAGEANT.
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FUNCTION ON DECEMBER 1.
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MOST ARRANGEMENTS FINALISED.
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COMPREHENSIVE PROGRAMME.
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With Saturday, December 1, drawing near, arrangements in connection with the South Auckland Motor and Air Carnival Association’s second annual pageant to be held at Steele’s Aerodrome, Rukuhia, are being rapidly finalised. A very comprehensive and thrilling programme has been definitely arranged and given favourable weather the pageant should be an outstanding success....

Large Number of Planes

The Auckland Aero Club’s programme will be bigger and more exciting than before as several new features will be included. Besides the five Gipsy Moths and the Puss Moth owned by the club several other planes including the two Centenary machines will be in attendance. The home-made biplane made by Mr. F. A. North, ground engineer at Mangere and the single-seater Comper Swift owned by Mr. R. Ferry, of Whakatane will also be in attendance on the day while an invitation to be present will be extended to Mr. T. S. White, of Hastings, who recently flew solo from England to Australia. With the several private planes in the province and machines from other clubs also expected, about 20 planes can be anticipated at Rukuhia.

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NZ Herald, 3 December 1934.

HAMILTON PAGEANT
AIR AND TRACK EVENTS
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AUCKLAND MACHINES ASSIST
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DESCENTS BY PARACHUTE
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{FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT]
HAMILTON, Saturday

There was a large attendance at the second annual pageant of the South Auckland Motor and Air Carnival Association, held to-day at the Rukuhia aerodrome, Weather conditions were perfect, and the comprehensive programme was completed without any serious mishap.
Several of the Auckland Aero Club’s machines were present, and they were kept busy, either providing the more spectacular items on the programme, or making passenger flights. Exhibitions of stunting and “crazy” flying were given by Flight-Lieutenant D. M. Allan, who also bombed a specially prepared fortress until it was blown up. During the afternoon three parachute descents were made by Pilot Officer J. S. Fraser.

[Dave Homewood]

I just came across this photo in the NEW ZEALAND HERALD, 7 MARCH 1931

THE BABY AEROPLANE FOLLOWS THE BABY CAR.
A small single-seater monoplane, imported by a member of the Auckland Aero Club. It is capable of a speed of 110 miles an hour, with a cruising speed of from 80 to 90 miles an hour.